Lewis-Skelly’s role ambiguity: Has Arteta’s tactics opened door for Real Madrid?

When Real Madrid start circling a teenage talent, the football world usually sits up and takes notice.

That spotlight now falls on Myles Lewis-Skelly — Arsenal’s intelligent, hard-running academy graduate — and it raises a serious question: are Arsenal about to fumble the future once again?

The 18-year-old enjoyed a breakout season under Mikel Arteta, racking up 39 first-team appearances and becoming a familiar presence in a side competing at the top end of English and European football. But with just one year left on his current deal, negotiations over an extension are reportedly not progressing well.

That has alerted Madrid, who are showing growing intent in luring top English talent to the Spanish capital — and they may have spotted an opening Arsenal cannot afford to give.

While the links may be tentative for now, this is how it always starts with Real. A quiet rumble, a speculative report and before long the deal seems inevitable. If Arsenal treat this interest lightly, they risk being overtaken by the same slow-building inevitability.

Madrid are already poised to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free, having landed Jude Bellingham two seasons ago.

With Lewis-Skelly now on their radar, it is clear this is no opportunistic raid — it is part of a deliberate recruitment pivot. Los Blancos are betting on England’s next generation and, if Arsenal are not careful, they may lose one of their own crown jewels for nothing.

It would be a bitter pill for the Gunners, not least because Lewis-Skelly represents everything Hale End promises: intelligence, versatility and composure well beyond his years. Capable of playing as a left-back, a 6 or an 8, his technical quality and tactical awareness have stood out since youth level.

Arteta himself described him as “very intelligent, very willing and very physical” — rare praise, and yet those words jar uncomfortably with the reality of the situation. If Arsenal value him this highly, why is his contract not already signed and sealed?

Part of the issue may lie in Arteta’s tactical use of the player. Though trained as a midfielder, Lewis-Skelly was deployed largely at left-back during his debut season — often inverting to offer support centrally, but still operating outside his natural role.

For a player whose long-term identity appears better suited to central areas, the ambiguity could easily unsettle both him and his representatives. Is he being moulded into a starter, or patched into whatever role needs filling?

Such uncertainty risks repeating a familiar Arsenal pattern. From Serge Gnabry to Donyell Malen, the club has previously allowed elite prospects to drift away, only to watch them flourish elsewhere.

The Gunners cannot afford to be reactive. Madrid do not tap on the door for no reason. They see something in Lewis-Skelly — something they believe can be sharpened, trusted and elevated to world-class status. That should serve as a wake-up call in north London.

This is not merely about a teenager’s contract. It is about strategic consistency and safeguarding the club’s long-term core. Letting Lewis-Skelly walk would be a symbolic failure of planning at a time when Arsenal can least afford it.

A line must be drawn — not just to keep Lewis-Skelly, but to show Arsenal’s best young talents that they do not need to look elsewhere to realise their potential.